Three Different Paths
by pJato431
Summary: Basically three alternative endings to Phase 22, this was a little rush, so if anyone wants to re-write it, go ahead, no need for permission.
1. Romeo and Juliet

**Okay, so whoever didn't see episode 22 yet, go away, shoo. Seriously, there is some major spoilers in here, even though it's an alternate ending and some speculations on what happened to Daryl….yup, just Daryl, I could care less what happened to Arisa. The way I see it, there were only three possible endings, but two out of the three aren't exactly fitting, so here's the first one.**

_Alternate Ending 1: Romeo and Juliet_

"Shu…Shu….Don't blame yourself. I….got a lot of feelings from you, it's all…..thanks to you," said the dying Inori as she blindly walks towards Shu, searching for him, not knowing that he's right in front of her.

She trips into his arms and raises her crystallized right arm searching desperately for her love. She wants to die in his arms, then she can truly be happy.

"Hey, Shu…..Where are you?"

He grabs her hand gently and wrap his own crystallized right arm around her, the two of them standing there, almost like it was a dance.

"Shu…" She sighs, feeling safe to know that she was in his arms again.

"Please stay with me." She quietly says, knowing that he will no matter what. "I'm on your side…okay?"

"Inori…..let's go together," he answers raising his arm in the air, intending to end this apocalypse once and for all, and to finish his role.

The virus crystal around them disappears as he continues to cleanse and cure everyone and everything of the virus. All thoughts of his loved ones flash through his head like a video, even his sister, Gai, everyone. The virus was spreading throughout him and he knew that it was time for the both of them to go. But before going, he made sure to let go of his friends' hearts, and gathered everyone else's making sure that voids will no longer exist without really harming anyone.

_I can feel the hearts of everyone flowing through me, their memories. Even the people who hated me were born and loved by someone. _

Those were his thoughts before becoming completely crystallized along with the girl he holds so dearly in his arms.

He opens his eyes, the vision was a little blurry before it came back into focus of a very familiar event. Inori was floating in front of him, just like the first time he drew her void and she was smiling.

"Inori…." He whispers. She holds up her arms to reveal the Cat's Cradle in her fingers, the strings were glowing vibrantly red.

"Take it."

Like a moth drawn to a flame, he moved his hands to take the Cradle but he hesitated, something didn't seem right.

"What's wrong? Shu, please take it." Inori pleads one more time.

Shu gives her a soft smile realizing what she was intending to do, and he's afraid he can't accept it. Instead he moves forward and pulls her close to him, hugging her. Her eyes widened, she can't do this, she can't be cruel to him. As much as this is what she desperately wants, to be together with him, she can't.

"Shu, I can't do this, please, just take it and live on for everyone else…and for me." She begs, but instead of shouting out, she says it so softly, and he chuckles.

"You're a bad liar, Inori, I just realized that now," he smiles. "No, let's go together."

Knowing that she was on the losing end of this small argument, if you could call it an argument, she just nods her head and snuggles in closer to Shu as they floated away into the Other World.

In the deck, Argo was escaping with Ayase and the others.

"Wait! Shu's still in there!" Ayase shouted, as the crumbling building was too loud.

"I know! But, I can't let you die here either!" Argo replied back, wasting no time in getting the hell out of that place.

"Shu!" She cries out as her tears were cascading down her face.

Outside, everyone watches with mixed emotions as the last of the building finally broke apart. Argo and Ayase met up with the others, they all held the same look on their faces. They knew, they knew because they felt it…they know that Shu and Inori no longer exists in the world with them. Ayase had her head in her hands, crying tears for all of her friends who were lost…..all her loved ones who died, Gai, Oogumo, Inori, and Shu…..

**A FEW YEARS LATER**

Japan was in peace now and the streets of Tokyo are bustling with healthy people, happy to not be worried about any Apocalypse. Up in one of the screens, a music video was playing, it was an old video now, but currently one of the most popular. The people called it their Saving Grace, a homage to Amazing Grace. That video featured one of their two heroes and a quite known singer, Inori Yuzuriha.

Across that was a building, a building meant for the people who fought and knew the Ouma family. It was named after Shu, and there was going to be a gathering for a birthday party.

"Hey Yahiro!" Souta greeted, playing with Funell and his little family Tsugumi created for him.

"You're early."

"You're busy with work?" Souta asked, petting Funell.

"Kinda, but I left early today." Yahiro replied, loosening up his tie. "May I sit here?"

"Sure," replied Ayase, who was smiling. The years passed by and she learned to let go slowly.

"Ayase, are you fine with Earl Gray?" Tsugumi asked, handing her the tea.

"That's so nice of you, Tsugumi," Ayase was rather surprise since Tsugumi was usually snappy. She felt rather bad for Daryl since the two were living together and he would always arrive with a black eye.

"Just for today. Teacher exams are coming up, so I'll turn into a demon again at home." Tsugumi said, which made Ayase a little nervous.

"Just don't go too hard on Daryl," Ayase nervously laughed out.

"Speaking of Daryl, where is he?" Kanon asked, glancing back at the mini cake on the plate that said _Happy Birthday Hare_.

"He's coming, he had to handle something with the Military," Tsugumi replied, pouting at the thought.

"Well, he should be here, it's his birthday too," Yahiro whistled, leaning back on the chair.

And just in time, General Daryl Yan arrived, with a small smirk in his face. "As if I'd be late for my own birthday party, sorry to keep you waiting."

All of them rolled their eyes as he took a seat, but he gave his respects to small plate that had the person's name with whom he shared his birthday with. They all had a good time, and two pictures were hanging above them the whole time. There was one with only Yahiro, Kanon, Hare, Souta, Inori and Shu on the beach, then the other one with the Funeral Parlor members, including Gai.

As they all played around with their cake, Yahiro looked out the window and into the sky.

_Shu, Inori, wherever you are, I just want you to know that everyone is doing fine and I hope you are too. _


	2. Widow

**So I thought really hard about the next alternative ending, but I can only see one where they both die, I mean, Inori was practically falling apart and I don't know how Shu can save her, so obviously, both of them living is impossible too. But I was like eh, I'll go with Shu dying and Inori living, but I don't know how the last one should be. NOTE: All the one-shots will have the same start until a certain point, so if you wanna skip all of this go ahead and get to the alternative point.**

_Alternate Ending 2: Widow_

"Shu…Shu….Don't blame yourself. I….got a lot of feelings from you, it's all…..thanks to you," said the dying Inori as she blindly walks towards Shu, searching for him, not knowing that he's right in front of her.

She trips into his arms and raises her crystallized right arm searching desperately for her love. She wants to die in his arms, then she can truly be happy.

"Hey, Shu…..Where are you?"

He grabs her hand gently and wrap his own crystallized right arm around her, the two of them standing there, almost like it was a dance.

"Shu…" She sighs, feeling safe to know that she was in his arms again.

"Please stay with me." She quietly says, knowing that he will no matter what. "I'm on your side…okay?"

"Inori…..let's go together," he answers raising his arm in the air, intending to end this apocalypse once and for all, and to finish his role.

The virus crystal around them disappears as he continues to cleanse and cure everyone and everything of the virus. All thoughts of his loved ones flash through his head like a video, even his sister, Gai, everyone. The virus was spreading throughout him and he knew that it was time for the both of them to go. But before going, he made sure to let go of his friends' hearts, and gathered everyone else's making sure that voids will no longer exist without really harming anyone.

_I can feel the hearts of everyone flowing through me, their memories. Even the people who hated me were born and loved by someone. _

Those were his thoughts before becoming completely crystallized along with the girl he holds so dearly in his arms.

He opens his eyes, the vision was a little blurry before it came back into focus of a very familiar event. Inori was floating in front of him, just like the first time he drew her void and she was smiling.

"Inori…." He whispers. She holds up her arms to reveal the Cat's Cradle in her fingers, the strings were glowing vibrantly red.

"Take it."

Like a moth drawn to a flame, he moved his hands to take the Cradle but he hesitated, something didn't seem right.

"What's wrong? Shu, please take it." Inori pleads one more time.

Shu gives her a soft smile realizing what she was intending to do, and he's afraid he can't accept it. Instead he moves forward and pulls her close to him, hugging her. Her eyes widened, she can't do this, she can't be cruel to him. As much as this is what she desperately wants, to be together with him, she can't. What she doesn't realize though, is that Shu is thinking exactly the same thing.

"Shu, I can't do this, please, just take it and live on for everyone else…and for me." She begs, but instead of shouting out, she says it so softly, and he chuckles.

"You're a bad liar, Inori, I just realized that now," he smiles. "I took all of your weaknesses and ill weight with me. You have sacrificed so much already, Inori, go and live in my place. The next time you open your eyes, you will see again."

It was just barely above a whisper and Inori was already too late when Shu pushed her away and he went on to the Other World himself. Her eyes widened even more as he was giving his speech, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. His cursed void _did_ indeed have the power to absorb everything, but at that moment, she couldn't help but feel as if that void should have never existed at all.

"Shu!" Inori cried out as he faded and the crystals around her shattered into pieces and Shu's physical embodiment was no longer with her.

In the deck, Argo was escaping with Ayase and the others.

"Wait! Shu's still in there!" Ayase shouted, as the crumbling building was too loud.

"I know! But, I can't let you die here either!" Argo replied back, wasting no time in getting the hell out of that place.

"Shu!" She cries out as her tears were cascading down her face.

Outside, everyone watches with mixed emotions as the last of the building finally broke apart. Argo and Ayase met up with the others, they all held the same look on their faces. They knew, they knew because they felt it…they know that Shu and Inori no longer exists in the world with them. Ayase had her head in her hands, crying tears for all of her friends who were lost…..all her loved ones who died, Gai, Oogumo, Inori, and Shu…..

**A FEW YEARS LATER**

Japan was in peace now and the streets of Tokyo are bustling with healthy people, happy to not be worried about any Apocalypse. Up in one of the screens, a music video was playing, it was an old video now, but currently one of the most popular. The people called it their Saving Grace, a homage to Amazing Grace. That video featured one of their two heroes and a quite known singer, Inori Yuzuriha.

That singer happened to be staring up at her own video before giving a small bittersweet smile and continued walking towards her destination.

Across that was a building, a building meant for the people who fought and knew the Ouma family. It was named after Shu, and there was going to be a gathering for a birthday party.

"Hey Yahiro!" Souta greeted, playing with Funell and his little family Tsugumi created for him.

"You're early."

"You're busy with work?" Souta asked, petting Funell.

"Kinda, but I left early today." Yahiro replied, loosening up his tie. "May I sit here?"

"Sure," replied Ayase, who was smiling. The years passed by and she learned to let go slowly.

"Ayase, are you fine with Earl Gray?" Tsugumi asked, handing her the tea.

"That's so nice of you, Tsugumi," Ayase was rather surprise since Tsugumi was usually snappy. She felt rather bad for Daryl since the two were living together and he would always arrive with a black eye.

"Just for today. Teacher exams are coming up, so I'll turn into a demon again at home." Tsugumi said, which made Ayase a little nervous.

"Speaking of Daryl, where is he?" Kanon asked, glancing back at the mini cake on the plate that said _Happy Birthday Hare_.

"He's coming, he had to handle something with the Military," Tsugumi replied, pouting at the thought.

"Well, he should be here, it's his birthday too," Yahiro whistled, leaning back on the chair.

"And not just Daryl, where is _she_?" Kanon wondered, glancing back at the mini cake on the plate that said _Happy Birthday Hare_. "She seemed pretty excited about this."

And just in time, General Daryl Yan arrived, with a small smirk in his face. "As if I'd be late for my own birthday party, sorry to keep you waiting."

All of them rolled their eyes as he took a seat, but he gave his respects to small plate that had the person's name with whom he shared his birthday with. Inori came in just a little after Daryl and she walking on a cane to support her body. Her blindness disappeared just like Shu promised, but her legs were weakened from the cancer, of course, she can still walk.

"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized, just like Daryl. She was wearing a small red dress with a pink jacket covering her up.

They all had a good time, and two pictures were hanging above them the whole time. There was one with only Yahiro, Kanon, Hare, Souta, Inori and Shu on the beach, then the other one with the Funeral Parlor members, including Gai.

"Here, to another year!" Souta toasted and they all raised their glasses of champagne and chinked it together.

A little after the party, Inori was sitting down on the bench overlooking the city. She has a small ear piece in her hand and she put it on. One of her favorite songs that she recorded was playing, and she let herself drift off into her own world.

Somewhere, she knows she is safe once more in Shu's arms.


End file.
